open access

https://hdl.handle.net/2115/66024

Upland Cropping Farm Management in the Tokachi Region of Hokkaido : Current Status and Challenges

日本語

2014-02-01

北海道農業経済学会

フロンティア農業経済研究

17(2)

17-33

2011年度秋季大会シンポジウム共通論題「北海道畑作農業の現段階と可能性」

The purpose of this paper is to examine the outlook for upland-field farming in Hokkaido under globalization. In the early part of the study, I clarify current problems in the management of upland-field operations from two points of view, one being the revenues and expenditures for upland-field farms, the other being the production costs of upland-field farming. In the second part, I examine the means by which these problems can be confronted by discussing the process of management cycle control.The following conclusions were obtained: (1) It is important to note the problems wrought by the upland-field crop payment policy. This is a problem that must be solved by all growers operating in upland-field crop producing districts. It will be necessary to establish a system of accountability for those receiving this subsidy by measuring the production costs of upland-field crops. Furthermore, enhancing the quality of extension service for farm management will be indispensable if reasonable production costs are to be attained. (2) It is clear that further cost reductions will be needed to cope with global competition. This is a problem that must be tackled by researchers in the agricultural sciences, especially those in agricultural economics, who need to identify barriers to economies of scale. From this perspective, the importance of discerning the facts through the observation of actual farm management practices and the verification of resulting hypotheses through econometrics approaches cannot be overstated. (3) Finally, I would like to emphasize the necessity of improving farm management methods and strategies in order to successfully meet the globalization challenge. This is a problem that must be solved by the owners and managers of upland-field farms. To meet and overcome this challenge, an optimal balance between inputs and outputs must be reached. Specifically, one effective method of improving management would be the effective visualization of revenues and expenditures and a managerial method for achieving reasonable production cost controls based on Ministry of Agriculture statistics.

学術雑誌論文

Version of Record

2185-1220

AA12489661